By Tori Whitley,

Checking the project’s progress every hour. Nitpicking the font of an email. Constant monitoring to ensure that your workers are, in fact, working (despite the fact that they are constantly producing results). You know what has happened, don’t you? You’ve become a micromanager.

As much as I hate being micromanaged, I understand the tendency. If your name is attached to something—directly or indirectly—you want it to be done right. And for some people, “right” is only right when done their way, so they either take on the job themselves or stick their fingers into every aspect of the work. But what many don’t realize is that they send unintended messages to their employees by doing so.

So what are micromanagers actually saying?

* “I view you as children in need of constant supervision.” Some people honestly believe that others will slack off without an authoritarian to stand over them and make them work. So when they are placed in a supervisory role they feel that they must stay on top of their employees to get things done. What they don’t realize is that being overbearing is actually counterproductive. While the work will likely be done, resentment will often kill morale and in some cases cause unnecessary resistance.

* “I can do your job better than you.” Yes, supervisors that are promoted from within are often done so because they excelled in their previous position. While it is great to pass on information to the person who steps into that job, occasionally that gets taken too far. When managers believe that their knowledge is all encompassing and that their input is mandatory on everything—down to the smallest detail—then the line is crossed from managing to micromanaging.

* “Your engagement isn’t necessary.” Why would employees bring their ideas to the table when they know a manager has a “my way or the highway” attitude? Why put 100% effort and energy into work that will inevitably be redone once it is submitted? Micromanaging shuts down employee initiative and leads to apathy, because the message that they get is that management doesn’t trust his or her input.

* “I’m unsure of what to do as your manager, so maybe if I focus on you no one will notice.” Moving into a management position can be difficult. While you’re promoted based on the skills you demonstrated in your old role, you need an entirely different set of skills to be a successful supervisor. Without training or guidance, one might become overwhelmed. To distract from their uncertainty, or to simply look like they know what they’re doing, they take control of the employees’ work.

Not what you intended to convey, is it? If you want to change the message that you send to those who report to you, you have to change your behavior. Because lack of trust is the major factor, allow your team members the opportunity to demonstrate that they can be trusted to handle the work. Delegate tasks (even better if you can get their buy-in) then step back. Instead of hovering over them or doing their work yourself, use that time to develop real leadership & management skills. Will there be mistakes? Possibly. Will things always be done your way? More than likely, no. But amazingly things will still get done, and you will find that your employees just might have methods and ideas that you can benefit from as well.